April 16, 2008 -- Mussels can stick to virtually any surface, from metal to wood to plastic. Now their tenacious adhesive abilities have inspired a synthetic version of their glue.
The mussel-inspired substance, which scientists call a primer, uses artificial versions of the natural proteins mussels use. Like the bivalve aquatic creatures, the new glue can even stick to Teflon, the notoriously slippery coating found on Navy submarines and non-stick cookware.
Scientists plan to apply antibacterial nanoparticles and pharmaceutical drugs to the sticky substance, which can then be used as paint primer on drug-coated medical devices or in cosmetics, says a new study in the journal Advanced Materials.
"We tried to capture the ability of mussels to attach to wood, whale skin, ships, Teflon, metal, lots of different things, which is very unusual in adhesives," said Phil Messersmith, a scientist at Northwestern University and study coauthor.
Exactly how the primer sticks is still uncertain.
"The mechanism behind adhesives of mussel glues are very interesting," said Nicholas Kotov, a scientist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who was not involved in the study.
The new adhesive, Kotov adds, "will help scientists to design new interfacial bonding agents."
Most glues or primers have both mechanical and chemical properties that help them bind. Glue seeps into a surface's microscopic nooks and crannies and then locks in place physically. At the same time, chemical reactions form between the glue and the substrate that further lock the material into place.
The mussel glue probably uses both mechanical and chemical bonds, said Messersmith.
Other materials can stick to Teflon, notes Messersmith, but the process is expensive and complicated. Messersmith's method is faster and easier.
"We dip [a material] into the solution, let it sit, and the primer spontaneously adsorbs to the material."
Antibiotic silver nanoparticles were also added to the primer to create a bacteria-killing surface. Silver nanoparticles have been used for years in products to eliminate odors caused by microscopic creatures, though recent research has suggested the nanoparticles may pose an environmental hazard.
While the new glue may help advance pharmaceuticals and antibacterial coatings, their freshwater models have a less helpful reputation. They are known for causing millions of dollars of damage each year by sticking to everything from water intakes to boat hulls.
In a nod toward their new technology's inspiration, the researchers named their company Nerites. Nerites, according to Greek mythology, was a titan who was turned into a mussel as punishment.
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